Lin Weiming felt a little flustered.
He felt that the Prime Minister and the Regent were looking at him strangely.
Lin Weiming couldn't help but add, "I...I was just talking nonsense, I don't know much."
"Hmm." Qi Sichen smiled and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't have much knowledge. I think you do have some talent. If there are any vacancies in the Ministry of Rites in a few days, you can give it a try."
Lin Weiming nodded, feeling a bit numb.
He seemed to have just been talking nonsense, how come it sounds like he got promoted?
He has been navigating the complexities of court politics for over a month now, and has learned some of the intricacies, such as how a high position does not necessarily equate to power.
Lin Weiming is now a Earl personally appointed by Qi Sichen, which is a high position, but in reality it is just a title, a nominal position. He has no real responsibilities and therefore no real power.
An official position without power is nothing more than a reflection in the water, a flower in the moonlight, a pretty facade.
But things are different now. Qi Sichen actually asked him to work in the Ministry of Rites, which means he is willing to give him some power.
Even though he had to start from scratch, Lin Weiming felt quite happy, as if he had a sense of being grounded.
He was used to farming in the countryside and liked the feeling of being down-to-earth.
Qi Sichen discussed some other matters with Lin Yanping. Lin Weiming couldn't quite understand what was going on, but he still tried his best to listen and write down what he heard.
But after he went out, he forgot everything as soon as he turned his head, feeling quite annoyed. When he got home, he locked himself in his study.
This surprised the rest of the family, who assumed he had been ostracized during court proceedings and thus became more cautious and gentle towards him.
"Madam, there are a few eunuchs outside waiting for our little princess. They say they have something they'd like to ask her," the old gatekeeper said to Liu Junlan.
Liu Junlan frowned: "The eunuch isn't from the palace? Did His Majesty or the Regent send a message?"
"No, no!" The old man who opened the door was also from the Regent's Palace and was familiar with these palace eunuchs. He quickly explained, "I heard that these eunuchs were sent by the Empress, not by our Regent or His Majesty. That's why I was afraid something might be wrong here, so I informed you first."
"A eunuch sent by the Empress in the palace? Our family has no connection with any of the empresses in the palace. I'll go and ask!" Liu Junlan said, and hurriedly walked outside.
Sure enough, there were several eunuchs waiting at the entrance of the Lin family's residence. When they saw Liu Junlan arrive, they all smiled and said, "Greetings, Madam. I am from the palace of Consort Liu. Our master has something to discuss with the little princess. I wonder if the little princess is at home?"
"Are you also here to see my granddaughter?" Liu Junlan ignored him and instead asked the eunuchs beside her.
Those people quickly nodded, "I'm from Consort Su's palace, and I also want to invite the little princess into the palace."
“I am from the palace of the Queen Dowager.”
…
Liu Junlan didn't know why these people wanted to see her granddaughter, so she asked directly, "Have any of your ladies said what they want with my granddaughter?"
If they wanted to cause trouble for Lin Wanyue, it's impossible that so many of them would have gathered together so eagerly, as if they wanted to put everyone else aside.
That's most likely because they want to ask Lin Wanyue for a favor.
Liu Junlan wasn't stupid; he immediately realized that they probably wanted Lin Wanyue to exorcise the ghost.
The eunuchs immediately looked embarrassed and said, "The Empress Dowagers have a good reason for inviting us, but we don't know the details. Please help us convey their message, Madam."
"Alright, then you can go back first. I'll go ask Wanwan if she wants to go. If she does, she'll naturally go to the palace. If she doesn't want to go, then you don't need to wait." Liu Junlan never wanted to make decisions for Lin Wanyue, and with that, she had someone close the door and see the guests out.
The eunuchs were surprised by Liu Junlan's decisive action and quickly stepped forward to block the door, wanting to persuade him further.
A tall, muscular young man, shirtless and radiating heat, walked out and said in a gruff voice, "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Young Master, you've arrived!" The gatekeeper's eyes narrowed with a smile when he saw the burly young man.
Liu Junlan ignored them and left on her own.
Lin Zheyun is now practicing kung fu with many imperial guards, and when he returns home, Lin Xiangwu teaches him military strategy. He also has no shortage of food and drink, and he is growing as fast as a baby cabbage in the field.
He was two years younger than Lin Zhongyuan, but he was already half a head taller than his brother and was very strong, almost as tall as Lin Weiming.
A group of eunuchs watched him, none of them daring to step forward. After a while, they could only return to the palace dejectedly.
The other concubines were alright, but the thought of having lived in the same palace as Liu Shuhua made them feel uneasy and uncomfortable. They couldn't even sleep well at night and often had nightmares.
However, Consort Liu was in great distress. Not only could she not sleep well at night, but she also often thought about drinking from the cup that Liu Shuhua had used while eating. She always felt that she had eaten something unclean in her stomach, which made her feel very uncomfortable.
She was in so much pain that she had no choice but to ask her older brother and sister-in-law to find a way to bring the little princess over to examine her.
Consort Liu's brother and sister-in-law were not very capable either. Their family's livelihood depended largely on the Consort Liu in the palace. With no other choice, they could only come to the Lin family's door to block Lin Wanyue.
However, before they could catch anyone, they were pulled aside by several plainclothes guards. They learned from the guards what the imperial concubines were thinking and immediately relayed the news to Qi Sichen.
Not long after, Eunuch Liu, accompanied by an old Taoist priest with a sage-like appearance, performed a ritual in the Spring and Autumn Pavilion. He also distributed some peace charms to each of the imperial concubines and, in a combination of gentle persuasion and firmness, told them: "Your Highnesses are uneasy, and His Majesty and the Prince are aware of this. However, if this disturbs the little princess's peace, it would be a grave offense. You all know how much His Majesty and the Prince love the little princess. If anything happens in the future, don't blame this old servant for not reminding you."
This combination of giving a sweet treat followed by a harsh rebuke finally silenced the imperial concubines, preventing them from going to Lin Wanyue again.
Meanwhile, Lin Wanyue finally received the message from Wang Youcai, learning all the information about the Lu family.
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